01JUN2007: As they were conducting a route clearance patrol just outside of Baghdad, Iraq, SSG Travis Atkins and his unit were notified of a group of possible insurgents nearby. They changed course to interdict. Arriving on scene, Atkins noticed two men acting strangely and stepped from his vehicle to approach them on foot. Moving towards the men with three additional Soldiers, SSG Atkins began yelling directions and closed the distance to search the two men. The two men were giving signs of resisting from the start and as the Soldiers closed the distance, they became aggressive. As the encounter began to turn violent, SSG Atkins noticed one of the men reaching for something under his clothing. Alarm bells went off. Recognizing the man was reaching to trigger a suicide vest, SSG Atkins acted. He bear hugged the man and tackled him to the ground away from his Soldiers. Once on the ground, Atkins pinned him down to shield his men from the potential danger. At that moment, the vest detonated, killing Atkins instantly but saving the lives of his three men. During that momentary chaos, the second man attempted to detonate his vest but Atkins' men, on high alert, gunned him down before he could complete the act. For his incredibly selfless action that saved the lives of three of his men, SSG Travis Atkins would be awarded, posthumously, the Medal of Honor.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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